Oracle Releases Emergency Patch To Java Zero Day Exploit

Oracle has just released an emergency patch to fix the zero day exploit in their Java software. The security flaw could possibly allow hackers access to your computer. A total of 850 million PCs were at risk by this vulnerability which prompted the US government, Apple and Mozilla to issue separate warnings which advised people to wither disable their Java plugin or not use the software at all.

The recent update changes the way Java works with web applications.

“The default security level for Java applets and web start applications has been increased from “Medium” to “High”. This affects the conditions under which unsigned (sandboxed) Java web applications can run. Previously, as long as you had the latest secure Java release installed applets and web start applications would continue to run as always. With the “High” setting the user is always warned before any unsigned application is run to prevent silent exploitation.”

People who are still running Java 7 update 10 are required to immediately update to Java 7 update 11. If you don’t require Java in your system then you can also uninstall it altogether.

The zero-day vulnerability which was discovered last week by a researcher named “kafeine” and was given the name identifier CVE-2013-0422.The flaw allows a remote attacker to execute a code in a machine. This attack can occur if anyone visits a website that has been setup with a malicious code to take advantage of the flaw.

If you are using Windows 7 you can update your Java by going to your control panel and clicking on the Java icon. From there click on the Update tab and on the lower right corner is a button that says “Update Now” which you will have to click. This will immediately download the updates. Make sure to save and close any Java applications you have running before installing the update.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: we are not affiliated with the device manufacturers or phone carriers we mention in any way, all suggestions are based on our own experience and research, you may use our advice at your own discretion.